That is a cupcake cake. I've never done one, but I assume you would arrange the cupcakes in the shape you wanted, pipe around the edge and then just frost like you would the top of a cake, then put a decorative border around the outside.

I made one once, it looked like a golf course. I think I have a pic of it in my photos. Anyway, I used the large wilton icing tip to get the icing on and then just smoothed it out. It worked really well. I think it is tip 789.

i do these a lot i call them cupcake cakes and i just use a little frosting on the bottom of the cupcakes that are on the outside i usually don't worry about the center ones...then i take a large star/border tipped bag (the one i do normal cupcakes with) and i frost them like i would my normal cupcakes then i take an angled spatula and smooth is out then i take my icing smoother and smooth it like i would a normal cake i do the side first (even though you don't frost the actual sides there will be excess at times) then i do the top then border and decorate the way you want i actually like doing these i think that they are quick and easy and something different i think that there is a frog one in my pics HTH

I set my cupcakes out in the shape that I need and then pick each one up, apply a glue dot, and set it back in place. I then ice them like I would a sheet cake and apply a border. Very quick and easy to get the "canvas" ready to decorate.

Yes, they can look like a wreck if they're done poorly, but so can any cake. I think the one in the original post is darling and it would delight any Tinkerbell fan, young or old.

Thank you everyone for your reply. If I'm understanding this correctly. Any buttercream frosting will be great for this technique and smooth just like any normal cake. (Viva paper towels) And then just decorate the way you wish, correct?

I have seen a number of cupcake cakes in cake 'disaster' books. If they are done well they look lovely but most of the ones I have seen are absolutely horrid! I'm from Australia and we don't get them here - thank goodness. My husband has always told me I can do anything I want but to NEVER make a cupcake cake... I plan to stick to that.